Do you know of superior books on Herbalism?

[Aetherous]

I'm talking Western, Ayurvedic, Greek, Chinese....etc...any type of herbal practice; it's all good...

What are the best of the best books that you know of on the subject?

 

...

Side note: I'm particularly interested in finding a Chinese Herbalism book that goes into explanations of why the herb has its particular effects.

For instance, some say that the taste and temperature of an herb primarily determine its main effects. But this isn't always the case. Sometimes what has a stronger effect is the law of similars...such as a leaf (the outer and upper part of a plant) treating the outer and upper part of the body, or something that's the color red having an effect on the blood, or something that looks like the kidneys treating them.

It would be very cool if there was an herb book out there that clarified the logic behind herbs. Not simply listing the qualities, and listing the actions...but consistently going into WHY those qualities and actions are there (and why they aren't there...for instance why is the taste the dominant quality in one herb, while the form the dominant quality in another? Is there a way to predict what quality will dominate?). To really help you understand the herb, and lead toward being able to understand herbs that aren't in any materia medica yet, such as (safe ones) that you find in the wild.

 

Also interested in books that take Western herbs and put them into Chinese medicine terminology.

But yeah...any recommendations will be appreciated!

Edited October 31, 2014 by Aetherous

[C T]

Check this out - i think it will help enlighten your search quite a bit. Just look at the comprehensive list of all the classical TCM texts, in chronological order.

 

http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/history/chronology.html

[C T]

http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/herbal/index.html

 

from the same site.

[Trunk]

These two are used in western schools of Chinese medicine. I have them both, rather excellent.

 

Bensky's Chinsese Herbal Materia Medica (single herbs)

 

Chinese Herbal Formulas & Strategies (formulas)

[Aetherous]

Thanks guys.

 

These two are used in western schools of Chinese medicine. I have them both, rather excellent.

 

Bensky's Chinsese Herbal Materia Medica (single herbs)

 

Chinese Herbal Formulas & Strategies (formulas)

 

I have those as well. At times they are really good, when referencing various older texts which discuss why the herbs work, in the commentary. That's not the focus of the books though, and it doesn't consistently do that.

Here's something to think about...in Greek herbal medicine, they rate the flavor and nature on a scale of 1-4 (Galenic degrees). Whereas in Chinese Medicine, it's just listed out as "bitter" or whatever with no rating. It might even be "bitter, sweet, warm" and we don't even know which aspect is predominant in the effects. So we don't know how bitter in relation to other herbs, and because we don't know that (also in relation to ratings of other qualities, such as color or shape, signature, or whether it's heavy or light), it doesn't inform us of why that taste contributes to that herb's therapeutic effect...if it even does at all. Sometimes it seems that it doesn't, based on the actions and indications.

We have to taste it ourselves to see if it's more or less bitter or sweet...and then what if what we taste is different from Bensky's materia medica? Maybe it's predominantly sweet and we can't tell that it's bitter at all. What does that mean in regard to its true effects?

Basically...I am studying herbs from these two texts, but it's not the easiest subject to grasp, and I'm wishing there was something more logical and consistent out there. Even the actions and indications in Bensky are apparently just things that physicians found to happen in general, and they might not even be effective for the individual patient (you can take a headache herb for a headache, but will it work 100% of the time?)...but a more thorough understanding of each herb and how or why they work, could help make the choosing of herbs more effective for that individual.

 

...

Also...we can think back to the Shen Nong Ben Cao. The person or people who wrote that...how did they come up with what they did? They must have tasted, felt the effects, looked at the plant's characteristics or signatures, recorded the effects when taken in many people, etc...maybe. There is a logic behind coming up with a listing for an herb in a materia medica that's based in reality, besides just copying previous listings (which often disagree with one another). Basically...I'm looking for a book that teaches you how to be Shen Nong.

Edited November 1, 2014 by Aetherous

[soaring crane]

Hildegard von Bingen

 

Read the preview at amazon and decide if it's interesting for you.

[Michael Sternbach]

If you don't know it yet, look into

 

Peter Holmes: The Energetics of Western Herbs: A Materia Medica Integrating Western and Chinese Herbal Therapeutics, Vols. 1 & 2

[GrandmasterP]

This is a standard work here....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Culpepers-Complete-Herbal-Wordsworth-Reference/dp/1853263451/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414963437&sr=8-1&keywords=culpeppers+complete+herbal

[Aetherous]

This appears to be along the lines of what I was talking about. Can't vouch for it yet, though.

[henro]

From the TCM perspective these are the goto text:

 

 

These two are used in western schools of Chinese medicine. I have them both, rather excellent.

 

Bensky's Chinsese Herbal Materia Medica (single herbs)

 

Chinese Herbal Formulas & Strategies (formulas)

Edited November 3, 2014 by henro

[Aetherous]

Also, the ben cao gang mu would be really interesting to have, as an additional reference to Bensky.